Baffled by Nhs guideline to make bottles

[Mumof3cheeky]

i will be buying a prep machine this time but there will be times when I will have to make bottles myself.
So my understanding of the nhs guideline is that I have to use freshly boiled water, leave it to cool down but use it within 30 min??
What happens in the middle of the night when you me baby is screaming??? I’m thinking even if I fastworward the cooling period and put the bottle in a pot of cold water, it would still take 15 min the minimum which in my opinion is a hell of a long time when a newborn is screaming
Or am I missing something?
Last time I had a baby I used to use boiled water and filled up all the sterilised bottles then use them up within 12hrs or so and just put the powder in when needed.
That’s obviously isn’t advisable anymore?

Its ridiculous. I didn't understand it either. It is the ideal, best practise way to do it, but completely impractical. My HV refused to discuss the next best way with me and so first time round, i did what you did and made up bottles, adding the milk powder when needed. But i have since learnt that milk should be added to hot water to till germs.

Second time around i steralised bottles in advance and then made up when needed but it did take a while. I think i used to hold bottle under running cold water to speed it up a bit.

I would have thought the "use within 30 minutes" bit would be timed from the beginning of the feed, not from when mill is added. Its all so complicated.

Sorry about the typos

I used to keep a jug of cooled boiled water in the fridge and would mix the milk powder in about 2oz freshly boiled hot water then top it up with the cooled boiled water from fridge. Made perfect temp formula every time. The way the guidelines suggest is the safest way but completely impractical for night feeds imo

Ahh great thanks that sounds more doable. Also I never warmed bottles up so babies just had them at room temperature. Im slightly worried that the prep machine will make him get used to warm milk and be fussy when it’s not that temperature?

I don't think the prep machines are meant to be that good. Sil just had a baby and got one but the midwife told her not to use it, something about the pipes not being able to be cleaned properly so they get mouldy.

The important part is adding the milk powder to hot water. That’s what kills off the bacteria. So you need to either make up the bottles with hot water, rapidly chill and store in the fridge, or make up as Beaky details. Or in the recommended way. Making them with cooled boiled water is pointless imo, you may as well use water from the tap.

The next best way is to make up according to the guidelines, then rapidly chill and keep in the fridge for up to 12 hours (possibly 24, can't remember offhand). You can then warm up, or make up with 2 oz less water and add the 2oz of boiling water when you want to use - and shake well of course.

This kills the germs in the milk powder, then keeps it cold so that it is safe to use. The not leaving for too long once it is made up is for if you leave it hot/room temperature, and this is a perfect way to grow bacteria.

As far as I understand it (WHO guidelines etc) you can make in advance and store in fridge for up to 24 hours.

Boil water and let it cool for no more than 30 mins. Make up bottle. This is the important bit - the water must be at least 70 degrees when the powder is added.

I’ve always wondered why powdered baby formula still exists. You would think given the huge risk from non sterile powder that it would be regulated somehow that ready made was the norm and the price the same as the equivalent in powder

Does anyone know if this is still the case if the baby is over 6 months and eating solids/chewing toys etc? I assume a fair amount of bacteria is consumed generally at this age and they are more resistant to it?

I'd imagine it's because it's actually only a very, very tiny risk that can be mitigated against with preparation, and because ready to drink is much heavier and more difficult to transport, meaning some people wouldn't be able to access it. We used ready made, but then we had a car at the time. Not everyone has that privilege.

I've just pre filled cooled boiled water into bottles with mine and added powder as and when needed. Not to hot water. No issues with any of my 4.

You could get ready made cartons for night time or use bottled water like they do in countries where tap water is unsafe or when people go on holiday and have no kettle.

The very, very vast majority of people who use cooled boiled water won't experience any issues because cronobacter sakazakkii in formula is so exceptionally rare. It's just that in the unlikely but not impossible event it's in the powdered formula, using cooled boiled water won't kill it whereas using water at a temp of 70 degrees will. It's basically how you feel about the risks vs energy expended. Fwiw in France, apparently the advice is not to use boiling water because of the scald risk. British people are probably more used to kettles than most though!

What we did when using powdered was to follow the WHO guidance for preparing batches for storage, which is to use water above 70 degrees, flash cool, store in the coolest part of the fridge and use within 24 hours. Page 6 of the guidance below, in case it is useful to anyone:

www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/PIF_Bottle_en.pdf

I've only ever made them the way my mum did. Make in advance and store in the fridge.
Fill kettle with fresh water, boil it, allow 30 minutes to cool, no longer. This allows the temperature to be correct. Add the powder, shake, allow to cool naturally at room temperature. Then when cold, put in the fridge where they can be stored for up to 24 hours.
To warm them up simply use boiling water and a plastic jug. Or when out we had a bottle warmer. It was a flask that you can put boiling water in, then when you need the bottle, use the lid as a jug.
It's so much easier then making when you need a bottle. I'd never do that. And I don't see the need for a machine to do it for you, I'd never ever have one of them.

I have been using perfect prep, and instant formula when out and about.

@DearMrDilkington - this only happens when people dont clean their machines. We thoroughly clean ours every month and change filters regularly.

OP- what we also do is we got a cheapest kettle with temp control, so we boil the water to 70 degrees when we do not have access to the prep machine, but still a massive pain in the bum to wait for it to cool down.